Das Siegel Gottes (1949)

The Cistercian Father Clemens, parish priest in a rural community, is confronted with a crime in confession. Before he dies, Haberer, a former gamekeeper for the estate owner Stefan von Mansfeld, unburdens his conscience to the priest: years earlier, Haberer had substantially contributed, by committing perjury in court, to Michael Lambach, the manager for the wealthy neighboring landowner Passegger, being wrongly sent to prison for several years on suspicion of arson in a forest. Mansfeld had paid Haberer to commit perjury. Lambach was Mansfeld’s rival for the affections of Andrea Passegger, the neighbor’s daughter. Mansfeld had managed to rid himself of his rival in a dishonorable way through the wrongful court conviction. Andrea loves Michael, and wrote him numerous letters in prison; she had little interest in Stefan, even though he pressed her to marry him. Just as she is about to agree to the marriage reluctantly, Father Clemens learns of Michael’s innocence through Haberer's remorseful confession. But because of the seal of confession, the “seal of God,” he is bound to keep silent. He remains true to that obligation. However, he manages to appeal to Stefan von Mansfeld’s conscience, so that Stefan visits Michael, who is still in prison, and confesses the truth to him. In this way, Andrea and Michael, who is released, eventually find their way back to each other.